Method and apparatus for mounting transfer decorations



T. S. REESE Sept. 3, 1935..

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING TRANSFER DECORATIONS Filed June 18, 1934 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented hept. 3, lhdh ii sh ft h which.

'llhomas 5. Reese, Cleveland, (flihio Application June in, rear, Serial an. ferret h @llaiims. (tUll. fill-33) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting transfer decorations.

Transfer decorations commonly are mounted on iiat'surfaces, the structure of the transfer m being well adapted for that purpose. Thetransfer decoration necessarily has a paper backing which affords a medium on which to print or otherwise to create the design of the decoration. That paper backing affords mechanical strength W to the transfer which assists in mounting the transfer decoration upon fiat surfaces inasmuch as it is the medium which supports the design during the mounting operation and insures that the decorative film will lie flat during mounting. m In mounting transfer decorations upon flat surfaces, the transfer is soaked with water after it is applied or at the same time it is being applied. The paper backing is of a highly absorbent nature so that when thoroughly saturated with 20 water, it loses its strength and stiffness. However, during the operation of mounting upon flat surfaces, the paper afiords sumcient strength and stiffness to assure the decoration will be applied properly'on the surfaces, and the paper backing is then rubbed ofi the decorative surface, it having substantially no strength due to its wet condition. y

In attempting to mount transfer decorations uponcurved, irregular or broken surfaces, the W paper backing of the transfer no longer serves as an aid in the mounting operation, but instead, due tothe strength and stiffness of the paper, it prevents the transfer decoration from conforming to the curved, irregular and broken surfaces, m, wrinkling, bulging and overlapping of the transfer occurring when it is attempted to apply the decoration to such surfaces. While transfer decorations may be applied to curved surfaces having a single substantially uniform curvature such as m a cylindrical surface, by the method used for mounting on flat surfaces, that method cannot be practised for mounting transfer decorationsfor surfaces more complex than one having a single curvature. M It is the object of this invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for mounting transfer decorations which may be used successfully to mount the decorations upon highly complex curved surfaces, irregular and broken surfaces. no other objects and advantages will appear in the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a view inelevation, partly broken away and in section, illustrating a device for practicing this invention. Figure 2 is a detailed view in cross section illustrating the mode of operation of the device shown in Figure l.

In view of the efiect of the transfer backing in attempting to mount transfer decorations upon complex surfaces byv the practice employed for mounting on fiat surfaces, as pointed out above, it is essential that the strength and stiffness, afforded by the transfer backing, be substantially wholly eliminated at the outset of the mounting process. In order to afford support for the transm fer decoration and to cause it to conform to the surface to be decorated, another medium must be provided for supporting the decoration as it is being mounted upon the surface. Inasmuch as the decoration is to be caused to conform to a complex curved, irregular and broken surface, it is essential that the medium for supporting and pressing the decoration into contact with the surface to be decorated, have certain qualities. In order to conform to the surface, it must be highly m flexible. In order that it will conformto the surface without folding and overlapping, it must be highly extensible. In order that it will return to its original condition after each successive mounting operation, and not be modified by contact with the surface being decorated, the medium must have elasticity in large measure.

A rubber membrane, especially when made from later, has been found to be very satisfactory in use'for such a supporting medium for the w decoration. Inasmuch as the decoration is built up on the transfer paper and adheres thereto, in arranging the decoration on the rubber membrane, the decoration must be exposed so that it will be brought into contact with the surface to 35 be decorated, thus the paper backing is brought between the rubber membrane and the decoration itself. In order to destroy the strength and stiflness of the paper backing, it is saturated with water at the outset of the mounting process when an it is arranged on the membrane and before the decoration is brought into contact with the sur face being decorated, and as the rubber membrane is deformed so as to conform to the surface to be decorated, the paper backing breaks up into 45 non-coherent bits and the eflect of the breaking up of the paper backing upon the decoration itself, must be considered. "In order that the breaking up of the paper backing will not destroy the figure of the decoration, it is necessary that the up decoration itself be of the continuous film type and have sumcient strength to be unaffected by the disintegration of the paper. The decorative film may be formed in any of a plurality of ways Well known to the art, it being essential only that at it be a continuous film in practicing this invention. Continuous film transfer decorations such as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 679,330 filed July '7, 1933, are well adapted for practicing this invention.

In order to cause the rubber membrane and the transfer decoration supported thereby to conform to the surface to be decorated and to achieve that result without any slipping or rubbing action between the surfaces involved, it is essential that the force applied to the rubber membrane be uniform and normal to the surface of the membrane at all points and at all stages of the process. For that purpose, fiuid pressure is employed and it has been found that either pneumatic or hydraulic pressure will work satisfactorily in practicing this invention. Hydraulic pressure has been found to be convenient.

As shown in the drawing, a container or reser voir l, is provided for the water through which the hydraulic pressure is exerted, in practicing this invention. One side of the reservoir II is covered by the rubber membrane 2, which is to support and to apply the transfer decoration to the surface to be decorated. The object to be decorated is arranged in proximity to the rubber membrane,'but spaced slightly therefrom at the outset of the operation of the device and the supporting means 3 for carrying the object to be decorated, takes a form determined largely by the nature of the object. As shown in the drawing, a supporting means 3 is hinged as indicated at t to standards 5 of the frame 6 so that the support 3 may be thrown to one side, where it is readily accessible for removing a decorated object and subsequently placing another object to be decorated in place. The object to be decorated is prepared, preliminary to the mounting operation, for

receiving the decoration by applying a coat of primer or surfacer thereto, which may be applied in accordance with conventional practice and which may be of any suitable type well known to the art. One suitable ground coat or primer for use in connection with this invention, is that disclosed and claimed in my Patent 1,924,961.

The object illustrated for decoration, in this particular instance, is a door for the instrument panel of an automobile. The object to be decorated may be secured in the supporting means in any suitable manner as by the screw, which is an integral part of the object in this particular instance, and which extends through an aperture in the supporting means 3 and is fastened by a wing nut threaded thereon.

The supporting means 3 'may be swung about the hinge 4 to bring it into mounting position, where the extension I on the supportingmeans 3 is adapted to rest upon a hinge pin 8 and be secured thereto by clamps 9, swivelly mounted in the projection I, thus fixing the support 3 in place to resist the force of the fiuid pressure.

The transfer decoration is arranged in mounting position by laying it upon the rubber membrane with the decorative film exposed. At that time, the transfer is saturated with water in order to destroy the strength and cohesion of the paper backing. The water employed for that purpose may be hot, and the water employedfor exerting the hydraulic pressure also may be hot, in order to supply heat which will soften the transfer decoration somewhat and thus aid in the mounting process, in that the transfer decoration is rendered more readily extensible. The means for affording the hydraulic pressure and the object supporting means are then brought together preparatory to applying the hydraulic pressure. In bringing those parts together, it is desirable that either one or both of them be moved rectilineally in order that no rubbing or slipping action will occur between any of the surfaces brought into contact. For that purpose, it is convenient to move the reservoir I upwardly, as shown in Figure 1, against the supportingmeans 3. Cams H are provided for moving the reservoir I; those cams engaging with cam riders 20 fastened to the bottom of the reservoir I, and guides 2| being provided for directing the motion of the reservoir as it is moved by the cams. The cams are driven from hand-wheels it through a worm and worm-gear drive [9. This structure affords a convenient means for moving the reservoir i into operative position and acts to support that reservoir against the hydraulic pressure during the mounting operation, without the necessity for any further looking or supporting means. The pressure exerted upon the cams may set up a moment if the point of contact of the cam riders with the cams is slightly displaced from the high point of the cams, but due to the wormwheel drive for the cams, such a turning moment is effectively resisted at the worm.

In mounting the transfer decoration according to this invention, it is essential that bodily movement of the decoration as a whole, shall not occur, inasmuch as such action would result in bulges, wrinkles and overlapping of the decorative film, as it be caused to conform to the complex and irregular surface. According to this invention, the transfer decoration is caused to stretch or to distort during the mounting process, so that it will be stretched into conformity with the complex and irregular surface to be decorated, without wrinkles or bulges. In order to effect such an action in mounting the decoration, the decorative film is held by clamping its margin between the supporting means 3 and the reservoir i. For that purpose, the frame indicated generally at I0, is provided, which frame also serves to support the rubber membrane 2. The frame iii consists of a metal ring II, a rubber ring l2 and another metal ring l3, the rubber membrane 2 being secured between the rubber ring l2 and the metal ring I3, and the ensemble being secured together by the screws l4, threaded through tapped openings in the plate l3. The rubber ring i2 and the metal ring l3 are wider, in cross section, than the metal ring ll, so as to afford a shoulder or bearing surface l5 between which and the supporting means 3 a margin of the transfer decoration may be clamped.

It will be observed that the rubber membrane extends over the shoulder l5. When the transfer is arranged in place on the rubber membrane 2, the margins of the transfer overlay the shoulder i5 and fit within the ring II. The supporting means 3 has a marginal portion I6 which is adapted to fit within the ring H and to press against the shoulder l5 when the reservoir I is moved into operative position relative to the supporting means 3. At that time, the margins of the transfer decoration are clamped, thus holding the decoration firmly at the outset of the mounting operation. It will be observed that the frame l0 affords a convenient replaceable unit for the rubber membrane 2 so that upon failure of the rubber membrane, a new membrane may be arranged in place merely by replacing the frame l0. The frame I0 is secured upon the reservoir l by screws 14 which extend through apertures in the flange 22 on the reseraoiaoev voir II, a gasket 2% being provided therebetween and the ensemble secured together by nuts 2d threaded onto the screws it.

The marginal portion it of the supporting means 3 defines a cavity in which the article being decorated is arranged. When the frame it and the supporting means 3 are brought together, an enclosed space is confined between the rubber membrane 2 and the interior of the cavity. When the membrane 2 is expanded by fluid pressure, the walls of the cavity limit its expansion so as not to rupture it by the pressure which is requisite to cause the membrane and the decoration. to conform to the surface being decorated. In practicing this invention for decorating less complicated surfaces, the pressure required may not be so great as to necessitate the use of a closed chamber for confining the membrane against undue expansion. v

As hydraulic pressure is applied by manipulation of the valvedt, the hydraulic pressure being ordinary hydrant pressure if desired, the rubber membrane 2 is pressed in conformity with the'surface of the objectto be decorated. Likewise, the decorative film is carried with the rubber membrane and is stretched with it and caused to conform to the surface. The paper backing being thoroughly saturated with water, breaks up and affords no substantial resistance to the stretching of the decoration.

As will be observed in Figure 2, the supporting means 3 is formed with a ledge 25 of such contour that the margin of the object to be decorated nicely matches with the margin of the ledge 2%, so that when the rubber membrane is caused to conform to the surface of the object, it willextend beyond and be supported at the margin of the object, as illustrated at 26 in Figure 2. Thus the decoration is applied to the surface of the object completely up to the margins thereof.

The object to be decorated, in this instance, has a large central opening and smaller openings elsewhere. Inserts it are provided in the supporting means i which extend through the apertures of the object, well above the surface thereof, and a raised central portion 2% also is prothe surface of the object is decorated up to the margins of the openings and no further operations are required to remove those portions of the decorative film, which otherwise would overlay the apertures. In efiect, the projections of the support 3,. extending through the apertures in the plate die out those portions of the decorative film.

As the transfer decoration is moved into contact with the object to be decorated, support for the decorative film is afiorded at the area of contact with the object and the film tears away from its marginal portions which are clamped beneath thesupporting head 3 at the shoulder 61 5. The fact that the hydraulic pressure is normal to the surface at all stages of the operation and throughout the whole area of the decorative film, prevents any slipping or rubbing contact between the decorative film and the surface to be decorated, which would deleteriously affect the decoration. Water is introduced intothe reservoir i until the rubber membrane has been caused to conform to all the irregularities and curved surfaces of the object to be decorated, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. At the end of the mounting operation, water is withdrawn from the reservoir by operation of the two-way valve 30, the water draining oif through an overflow 3i arranged at a level such that when the water ceases to pass through the overflow 3i, there will be sumcient water remaining in the reservoid II to maintain the. rubber membrane in substantially a flat condition, ready to receive the next transfer decoration. The reservoir i may be lowered by operation of cams H and the support 3 swung about hinge t to one side where the decorated object is removed and another object inserted in place thereof. Another transfer decoration is arranged in place over the rubber membrane and the cycle of operations is repeated.

The surface being decorated may be coated with a primer or surface preparatory to the mounting operation in accordance with the usual practice. The decoration may be wetted with a solvent cement prior to application to insure adhsion to the primer, alternatively, the primer may be that disclosed in my Patent 1,924,961 Which contains solvent which maintains the primer in tacky condition for a prolonged period of time. Also, the transfer decoration may be of the type disclosed and claimed in my above mentioned application for patent which is highly flexible and readily deformable. Such a decoration may be applied according to the practice of this invention, no solvent cement being required when the primer of my above mentioned patent is used in connection therewith. In order to render the decorative filmmore plastic and deformable, it is desirable to saturate the paper backing with hot water and to employ hot water to exert the hydraulic pressure, heat being transmitted through the membrane to the decoration. The warm decorative film is more amenable to deformation in practicing this invention. After mounting the decoration it may be baked where necessary and a coat of clear lacquer applied thereover in accordance with the usual practice.

While the invention has been described in detail by way of illustration, it is not intended so to limit the invention, inasmuch as in variations in the details thereof may be, made, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and as defined in the following claims.

I claim: 1 1. A method of mounting continuous film transfer decorations which comprises arranging the transfer decoration on an extensible, flexible, elastic membrane with the paper backing in water saturated condition and with'the decorative film exposed, securing the margins of the decorative film in place, arranging an object to be decorated in proximity to the decorative film, and pressing the decorative film into contact with the surface to be decorated by fluid pressure acting on the membrane at the side distant from the decoration. 1..

2. A method of mounting continuous film transfer decorations which comprises arranging the paper backing on a rubber membrane, the paper backing being in water saturated condition, and the decorative film being exposed, arranging an object to be decorated in proximity to the decorative fllm, expanding the rubber membrane by fluid pressure while holding the margins of the decorative film against displacement so as to stretch and deform the decorative film into contact with the surface being decorated.

3. A method of mounting continuous film transfer decorations which comprises arranging the paper backing on a rubber membrane, the paper backing being in water saturated condition, and the decorative film being exposed, arranging an object to be decorated in proximity to the decorative film, expanding the rubber membrane by fluid pressure while holding the margins of the decorative film against displacement so as to stretch and deform the decorative film into contact with the surface being decorated, confining the membrane and decoration carried thereby so as to cause the latter to conform to the surface being decorated and to prevent undue deformation of the former.

4. In the art of decorating the steps of making a continuous film transfer decoration, the substance of said film consisting largely of cellulose derivative and heat-hardenable resin, arranging the transfer decoration on a rubber membrane with the paper backing in contact therewith and in water saturated condition, preparing an object by coating the surface to be decorated with a primer and drying the primer to a tacky condition, arranging the object in proximity to the decoration, pressing the decoration into contact with the primer by the action of fluid pressure on the side of the membrane distant from the decoration while holding the margins of the decorative film against displacement, maintaining the decorative film warm during the mounting process. and baking the decoration on the object.

5. A device for mounting continuous film transfer decorations comprising a rubber membrane, a reservoir closed on one side by said membrane for enclosing fluid under pressure, means for supporting an object to be decorated in proximity to the membrane, said means having a recess surrounded by a marginal portion adapted to press against the margins of a transfer decoration arranged on the rubber membrane, and means for introducing fluid under pressure to expand the membrane and decorative film into the recess and into contact with the surface to be decorated.

6. A device for mounting continuous film transfer decorations comprising a rubber membrane, a frame for supporting the membrane at the margins thereof and having a shoulder extending beneath the membrane, said membrane and frame being adapted to receive a transfer decoration with the paper backing in contact with the membrane and the margins of the decoration overlaying the shoulder, means for supporting the object to be decorated having a cavity in which the object is arranged, said means having a marginal portion adapted to press against the margins of the decoration overlaying the shoulder, means for applying fluid pressure to the membrane at the side distant from the decoration, and means for separating the frame and the supporting means to permit removal and insertion of objects to be decorated and to permit insertion of transfer decorations.

7. A device for mounting continuous film transfer decorations which comprises a rubber membrane, fluid pressure means for expanding. and deforming the membrane, means for supporting an object in juxtaposition to the membrane, means for securing the margin of a transfer decoration with the decoration on the membrane.

8. A device for mounting continuous film transfer decorations which comprises a rubber membrane, fluid pressure means for expanding and deforming the membrane, means for securing the margin of a transfer decoration with the decoration on the membrane, means having a cavity for supporting the object to be decorated within the cavity, said cavity receiving and confining the membrane when expanded by fluid pressure.

THOMAS S. REESE. 

